Chasing the Witch (Boston Witches)

by Jessica Gibson

  “So, Jack just called. He wants to meet up for dinner so we can talk. I don’t really want to talk with him, but this could be good for our plan, right?”

  “I don’t want to make you talk with him just so we can trap Sabine, Caroline. We can figure something else out.”

  “Jill, this fits perfectly with the plan. Plus, I can hopefully get the divorce papers signed while I’m at it.”

  “I don’t know. Let me go talk to Will and I’ll get back to you.” Jilly stood up and left Caroline alone with her thoughts.

  Thirty minutes later, they were all gathered around the dining room table eating lunch.

  “Ok, Caroline, what do you want to do?” William asked.

  “I think going to dinner with Jack is our best bet. I’ll call him and set it up after lunch. Do you think Sabine is going to go for it?”

  “Honestly, yes. She wants you for a reason; so she’ll jump at the chance to get you alone. We’ll be around, but you won’t see us. We’ll know if you are in trouble, though. Set it up for some time after it gets fully dark, so we will have more options for staking out the place. Try not to be nervous, just act normal. We don’t want to throw her off,” William said.

  They finished eating in relative silence, all of them lost in their own thoughts. After lunch, Caroline went into her room and called Jack to set up the dinner. She didn’t care for how eager he sounded when she agreed to meet. They decided to have dinner at 7:30 at a little place in the village. She felt uneasy about the whole situation, meeting Jack and wondering what Sabine wanted from her.

  Nikolai and William were sitting out on the patio talking strategy. “I think we should just grab her as soon as we see her,” Nikolai said.

  “Nik, I know how you feel, I would be crazy if anything happened to Jill; but we need her to lead us to Katya. If we just grab her, she’ll never tell us what we need to know.” Nikolai jumped to his feet and went over to the railing, gripping it tightly.

  “I feel so helpless, Will. I have to do something. I can’t just sit here.” William was silent for a moment.

  “This is a horrible situation but I think you’re doing all there is to do right now, Nik. Now, I have something I think I should discuss with you. Patrick is getting stronger; he was able to get to Jill from within his tomb. We strengthened the wards twice before leaving town, but I know they won’t hold for much longer than a week, two at the most. We need to find a more permanent solution for him, especially now that Mary is added to the equation.” William scrubbed his hands over his face and sat back in his chair. Nikolai walked back and sat down.

  “That is a difficult task. I’m not sure if there even is a permanent solution for him, Will. He’ll never stop trying to escape. And now that he knows Mary is out there, he’ll only get worse.”

  “I know that, Nik, but what can I do?”

  “I wish I had the answer, Will,” Nikolai said softly.

  Jilly was nervous; her stomach twisted in knots. “I don’t know how comfortable I am with this plan, Will. I hate the idea of Caroline being bait.”

  “Jill, we’ve been over this. There’s nothing else we can do. This is our only shot at finding Katya. Caroline is willing; so you either need to jump on board or stay here.” William shot her a dangerous look and left her standing alone in her room. She was shocked by the harshness of his words, but she also knew he was worried for Katya. She geared herself up for the task and walked out to meet the others.

  Caroline was dressed modestly in a sweater and jeans. She carried an oversized purse, so she could hide a few protective charms that Jilly had made for her. She said goodbye to the others, hurried out the door and into the hall. She knew that they would be following soon; but she felt very alone. She pulled her purse snugly into her side and made her way to the elevators. As the doors were closing, she heard the click of the door down the hall opening and Jilly’s voice as she started walking. She pressed the button for the lobby and said a quick prayer as the elevator began its descent. Less than a minute later, she was off and walking toward the front of the lobby. A shiver danced down her spine; she had a vague feeling that someone was watching her, but she couldn’t see anyone when she looked.

  After asking the door attendant to hail a cab for her, she waited by the door until it pulled up and the door was open. She tipped the attendant and leaped into the cab. She gave the driver the address and leaned back into the seat with a sigh. “So far so good,” she said under her breath. Twenty minutes later, the cab pulled up to the restaurant. She paid the driver and got out. She scanned the area quickly and dashed for the door. Jack was already there and a huge smile spread across his face when he saw her.

  “You look beautiful, Caroline. Thank you for agreeing to dinner, tonight.”

  “Save it, Jack, I’m not interested in flattery. I’m just here for the papers. Have you signed them, yet?” He looked at his feet for a moment.

  “No, I haven’t signed them, yet; but I brought them with me. If I can’t convince you to give me another chance tonight, I’ll sign them before you leave.” The server came over and took their drink orders. Jack ordered a beer and Caroline stuck with water. She wanted to have her wits about her in case things went south.

  “I honestly don’t know what you could possibly say that would convince me to stay with you, Jack. I’ve made up my mind and I’m sick of this crap you keep pulling,” Caroline spat out. They were both silent for a moment. Jack was looking at Caroline; but she was looking out the window, unwilling to meet his gaze.

  “Caroline, the bottom line is that I still love you and I’m not ready to give up on us. I don’t understand how you can just walk away from us.”

  “Look, Jack, I’m not just giving up and walking away. I was in this marriage 100% up until I found out you had been cheating. I will not go back to that; there is nothing left for us. I’m finished.” The server came back with their drinks and asked if they were ready to order. Jack looked at Caroline and she nodded.

  “I’ll just have the cobb salad with ranch dressing instead of the blue cheese,” Caroline said.

  “I’ll have the grilled chicken with a side of potatoes,” Jack said and the server left to put in their orders. “I half expected you to leave before we even ordered,” Jack said dryly.

  “I thought about it; but I said that I would have dinner and that’s what I’m going to do. It would make things easier if you would just sign the papers now, and we can part on good terms when we’re done eating. I could make this a lot more difficult for you, Jack. I’ve been really good about all of this.”

  “Is that a threat?” he asked, his fingers twisting his napkin violently.

  “No, it’s not a threat. It’s what I intend to do if you don’t sign. I’m just laying all my cards on the table. If that hurts or offends you, then I’m sorry. I’m done with being nice, Jack. I’ve given you nice for too many years and look where it got us.” They were interrupted by the server bringing their food to the table. They both ate silently for a few minutes, each of them trying to gather their own thoughts.

  “I hadn’t realized how much I really hurt you, Caroline,” Jack said softly.

  “It’s not about hurt anymore, Jack, I just need to move on and start over. I can’t live halfway anymore, I need to have a whole life that’s all my own. Can you understand that?”

  He looked at her with tears in his eyes and reached under the table for his briefcase. He pulled out the divorce papers and signed them immediately.

  “For what it’s worth, I really am sorry and I do love you,” he said as he handed her the papers. She stood up, put the papers in her purse and turned to him.

  “I know, Jack, I loved you too. I hope you have a nice life and that you can find happiness, again.” She kissed his cheek and walked out into the night..

  Caroline decided to walk for a few blocks before hailing a cab. She was too keyed up and she figured the walk would do her good. She had almost forgotten to be nervous when Sabine stepped out
of the shadows in front of her.

  “Hello, Caroline, having a nice night out with the hubby?” she asked, wickedly.

  “Sabine, I can’t say I’m surprised to see you. Why don’t we cut to the chase and you tell me what you want from me,” Caroline replied, icily.

  “Oh, but that wouldn’t be as fun now, would it? Why don’t we walk for a bit?”

  “No, I don’t think I really want to walk with you. I’m not in the mood for games, tonight. Just tell me what you want and be done with it,” Caroline said with more force than either of them expected.

  “Well, well, well, little witchy has a temper. It wasn’t a request, Caroline, don’t try my patience.” The look on Sabine’s face was enough to make Caroline do what she asked.

  “So, where are we going anyway?” Caroline asked, secretly hoping that Sabine would lead them to Katya.

  “You don’t need to know that, now; it’s not important. Just walk with me.” Sabine walked off first, not bothering to check if Caroline was following or not. Caroline looked around for a minute trying to find where the others were hiding. She felt a warm rushing feeling in her ears and William’s voice spoke to her.

  “We’re here, don’t worry. Nothing will happen, I promise.”

  Caroline nodded, wondering if they could see her or not. Reluctantly she started walking after Sabine. She reached in and grabbed one of the charms and said the spell under her breath, while she put it around her neck under her shirt. She instantly felt the warmth against her skin from the charm; so she knew it was working and that made her breathe a little bit easier. She followed Sabine for what felt like forever before they reached what looked like an abandoned building.

  Sabine turned to her, “We’re here. Wait there for a minute. I’ll be right back.”

  Caroline just nodded and stood where she was. She watched Sabine disappear into the decrepit building.

  William appeared behind her silently. “We’re going to come in after you, don’t worry. We have all of Nik’s guys with us, too, so we should all be safe.” He squeezed her shoulder briefly and melted away into the darkness. Caroline let out a shaky breath as Sabine appeared in the doorway and motioned for her to follow her inside. She felt frozen to the pavement and she willed herself to move. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she picked up her feet and began walking.

  Caroline gasped in surprise when they got inside. The building was surprisingly nice. There were crystal chandeliers on the vaulted ceilings and Persian rugs on the floor.

  Sabine laughed a hollow and mirthless sound. “Caroline, my pet, did you really think I would make my home somewhere that people would easily find? Now follow me darling, there’s someone who would like to say, ‘hello’.”

  Caroline followed her down the hallway and through a big door at the end. When they entered the room, Caroline immediately felt uneasy. This was more of a prison cell and less of a bedroom than she would have liked. There, sitting on a chair, was Katya. “Kat,” Caroline said, feeling immensely relieved that she was ok. Sabine smiled maliciously.

  “If you ladies will excuse me, I have some other things to attend to.” Sabine said and Caroline whirled around to face her.

  “Wait just a second, do you really think I’m just going to sit here and let you imprison me? Have you forgotten that I’m a witch?”

  Sabine laughed. “I am not stupid. Do you honestly think I would let you in with your powers? The same witch who spelled the building added an extra binding spell that will strip powers upon entrance.”

  Caroline sighed, “Fine, will you at least tell me what this is all about?” Her voice was stronger than she thought she was capable of at that moment.

  “Isn’t it obvious, Caroline? I need you and Katya here for your power. Granted, yours is not trained well yet, but it’s strong. I can feel it when you’re near.”

  “What do you need us for?” Caroline asked in a shaky voice, fear snaking its way up.

  “I don’t want to give away all my secrets, my dear,” Before Caroline could say anything else, Sabine shoved her hard to the ground and walked out of the room, locking them inside. Caroline got up slowly and looked around their prison. It was not as nice as the rest of the house. Only a bed, a couple chairs, and a threadbare rug decorated the room. She turned to Katya.

  “I’ve been so worried about you since Nik told us you were missing. I’m so glad you’re ok,” Caroline said, as she hugged her tightly.

  “I’m fine; it’s actually been really boring. Sabine stuck me here yesterday, and all I’ve been doing is waiting for something to happen.”

  “Well, I’m glad nothing crazy happened. Has she said what she wants us for, yet?”

  “No, I’ve been in here since yesterday. You are the first person besides Sabine I’ve seen.”

  “Well, get ready to go because William and Nik are outside with a bunch of guys. They’re going to break us out.”

  “I never doubted I’d be out soon. Nik is very resourceful,” Katya said with a brilliant smile. They sat down in the chairs next to the window to wait for their rescue. They didn’t have to wait long. Five minutes later they heard a loud crash and lots of shouting. A few minutes after that, Jilly burst through the door looking slightly harassed.

  “Sorry it took us so long. The boys were arguing about the best way to break in for way too long.” She ran over and hugged Caroline and Katya to her, breathing a sigh of relief, “Are you both ok?”

  “We’re fine, Jill. How did you get in, anyway?” Caroline inquired.

  Jilly held up a key. “Sometimes it’s the most obvious thing that works.”

  “Jilly, so good of you to come join the party,” Katya said with a laugh.

  Jilly chuckled. “Oh yeah. You know me, Kat, never one to be left out.”

  “We should probably go, Nik is most likely going crazy,” Katya said with a smile.

  Jilly’s eyebrow rose. “Crazy is an understatement.” Jilly led them out into the hall where they saw the debris from the scuffle. Nikolai ran to Katya and took her in his arms. He spoke to her softly in Russian and Jilly and Caroline smiled at them. William finally came over after he finished overseeing Sabine’s capture. He hugged Caroline and kissed her forehead. “Are you ok?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. You guys came just in time. Not that anything besides being held against my will was going to happen. She said she wanted us for our power, I’m thinking it has something to do with Patrick or Mary.” William nodded.

  “Yeah, that’s probably true. I’ll find out when Nik and I question her, later. Right now, all I want to do is get everyone out of here and back to the hotel.” William gestured for the girls to go out ahead of him. He magically sealed off the door so no one would stumble in, accidentally, before he and Nikolai had a chance to go over all the rooms. The girls wandered off towards civilization to hail a cab as Nik and Katya were piling into a black SUV. They all said their good-byes and agreed to meet in the morning to discuss their next step.

  Jilly woke up before anyone else. She took advantage of the silence and went out on the patio with a mug of coffee. She reflected back on the craziness of the last year and couldn’t believe where her life had taken her. She was engaged to be married to a man who made her weak in the knees every time he walked in the room and she had her sister back. Jilly had a sudden thought and padded back into the suite, gently closing the door so she wouldn’t wake anyone up. She called down to the front desk and asked the concierge to set up an appointment for her, Katya and Caroline at Kleinfeld’s Bridal that afternoon. Jilly was excited to try on dresses. The reality of actually getting married was finally hitting her and she felt giddy. After she ordered breakfast for everyone, she went back to her room to take a shower and get ready for the day.

  Jilly emerged from her room forty-five minutes later and found William and Caroline seated at the table eating breakfast.

  “Did you order breakfast?” William asked her when she sat down.

  “Yeah, I got up a
while ago; so I figured I’d order for us. What time are Nik and Katya coming over?” Jilly asked as she piled eggs and hash browns onto her plate.

  “Nik called this morning and said they’ll be over in about an hour,” he replied.

  “Ok, that’s fine,” Jilly said and then turned to Caroline, “I made us an appointment at Kleinfeld’s for this afternoon.” Caroline let out a scream.

  “Oh, I’m so excited; I can’t wait to see you in those dresses.”

  “It’s not just for me, Car, we need to find dresses for you and Kat, and maybe one for Em.”

  “Well that’s exciting too, but not as exciting as seeing you in a wedding dress, Jill,” Caroline said. William grinned at Jilly, grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

  “I’m glad you get to do something fun on this trip. It shouldn’t be all business. Nik and I have to go back to Sabine’s place anyway, so we’ll just go during your appointment.”

  William squeezed her hand again.

  “It means a lot that you want to include Katya. She’s one of my best friends and I’m so happy you guys are close.” They all finished eating and Caroline excused herself so she could get ready. Jilly and William went back to their room and sat on the bed.

  “When do you want to get married, Jill? We never really had a chance to set a date.”

  “I think maybe October? I’ve always wanted a fall wedding. I love the colors of the trees. So that gives us a little over seven months to plan. Do you want a big wedding, or a small one?”

  William laughed, “Honey, I don’t really care. As long as at the end of the day you’re my wife, I’ll be happy.”

  She laughed back at him. “I don’t really think we’ll be able to get away with a small wedding. I know pretty much everyone in town and they’ll all want to come. Do you think we can afford a big wedding? I have some money saved up and I think my dad will want to help a little bit.”